Coming Apart; the Countercultural Rebellion; Feminism and a Values Revolution by: Cassandra Fernandez and Jenny Wendell
Coming Apart By the 1960s, the vast majority of the United States population was under the age thirty. Because of this, the youths collectively had great influence. Together, they desired to renovate American democracy as well as to eradicate racism, consumerism, and militarism. This led to the establishment of the Students for a Democratic Society. Moreover, "the new Left" movement formed.
Berkley Free Speech Movement Another movement, the Berkley Free Speech Movement, was formed as well. This movement was created due to an activist from the University of California being arrested during an attempt to plead for funds and gather volunteers. The polices' decision to arrest was influenced by the university administrators' stance on eradicating political activities. In response to the administrators and polices' actions, students began to demand for the right of having political practices on campus. At one point, seventy percent of students were participating in demonstrations and a strike.
Protests Countrywide The students' tactics and actions started a "chain reaction" where students throughout the nation joined their cause along with forming causes to eradicate rules that regulated dormitory life, reform the curriculum, and have minorities be more accepted into schools. In addition to protesting for schools' reforms, students fought against the war in Vietnam and drafting calls. This transformed the movement from protesting to resisting and ultimately shaped the movement into a mass social movement. The Students for a Democratic Society were responsible for encouraging people use resistance. They used resistance against draft calls and disobeyed in certain service centers. Racism was another issue protestors focused on.
Polices' Brutality In Columbia University, students collectively protested against the college's military research project and deemed for it to be eradicated. They protested by barricading themselves into five buildings on campus. The police reacted by using violence, which provoked students to boycott classes and led to the college being closed down for the semester. Temporarily, students stopped protesting when President Nixon withdrew troops from Vietnam. However, protests soon began again when the United States invaded Cambodia. Students, including those in Kent State University, showed their disapproval by breaking windows and setting ROTC buildings on fire. Many were faced with polices' brutality. One well-known, violent enforcement on students that led to shock and disapproval occurred at Kent State University. At Kent State University, guardsmen shot at people who were retreating from the tear gas and it resulted in the deaths of four students and the injuries of eleven students. This was a shock because those who were killed or wounded did not break any laws. Following this tragedy, Mississippi state policemen killed two blacks students attending Jackson State during a protest. The overall violence led to resentment and provoked more students to boycott classes.
The Outcomes of the Movement Eventually, the movement became less popular as students' tactics grew out of favor. For instance, many disliked the fact that antiwar radicals planted a bomb in a science building at the University of Wisconsin and unintentionally resulted in killing one graduate student. As well, President Nixon decreased draft calls, thus decreasing protestors who fought against the draft calls. The protestors were criticized because their methods contradicted those who believed that law and order was the foundation necessary for a civilized society. However, there were successes such as the authority enforced became less in colleges, therefore making it more liberalized. Curfews and dress codes no longer existed. As well, JROTC was no longer a required course. The percentage of minorities in colleges increased along with Black Studies programs.
The Countercultural Rebellion The Countercultural Rebellion is known for its hippies, who rejected communism, wore particular, unique styles and hairstyles, spoke with new terms, experimented with drugs, and promoted cooperation and love. They also were responsible for bringing ecology and alternative medicine into the society. They generally thought that drugs were harmless and served as a relaxant. The usage of marijuana and a little bit of LSD became popular, especially among those who were hippies and college students. Musical Revolution Folk music was a way for hippies to find an alternative to the "artificial consumer culture" that they tried to be distinct from, During this time period, Bob Dylan and the Beatles were extremely popular, especially the latter. One popular event for hippies was the Woodstock festival. This festival provided an opportunity for hippies to celebrate their vision of harmony and freedom. This was a time for hippies to listen to rock music while sharing drugs. The festival was considered by many hippies as the beginning of the Age of Aquarius (era of peace and love) Sexual Revolution Birth control pills became vastly popular. In fact, by 1979, ten million women were taking the pills. Some states legalized abortion. Living together without being married became more accepted. Language and social behavior were considered more "free" in the American society.
Feminism The Second wave of Feminism was stimulated by the social activism occurring at the time and the countercultural revolution. Spurred a spirit of self-awareness and dissatisfaction amongst women Women were receiving less pay than men for comparable work. In addition, they endured occupational inequities similar to those of minorities at the time. The National Organization for Women (NOW) was a civil rights group for women which labored "to bring women into full participation in the mainstream of American society". This organization mobilized public opinion and activism against sexism.
Women's Liberation Thousands of women gathered in support groups to share their grievances and express their dissatisfaction. Women's liberation groups strove to overcome male condescension. In August 1970, thousands of women gathered in the Women's Strike for Equality to demand the right to equal employment and safe, legal abortions. The Equal Rights Amendment barred discrimination on the basis of gender. The legalization of abortions was achieved in the case Roe vs. Wade.